Article of wearing appares



June 6, 1939. H.'s. KOHLER 2,161,053

ARTIGLE OF WEARING APPAREL Filed Aug. 2 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l I INVENTOR.

. ATTORNEY.

June 6, 1939. H. SIKOHLER r 1 53 ARTICLE OF WEARING APPAREL I Filed Aug. 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Harriet S. .Kohler, Westport, Conn.

ZApplication August 22, 1938, Serial No. 226,153

Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in garments for ladies, and relates more specifically to an improved undergarment or slip. I

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved ladies body garment consisting of a waist and a skirt portion which is formed substantially upon the straight of the material and wherein a bias effect is created in the waist and bust-encircling portions by means of throwing the grain of the material in such portions at a distinct angle to the straight of the material by the formation of a particular type of dart.

Ladies slips or other similar garments have,

for the most part, been formed upon the bias of the material in order to give the garment an approved measure of circumferential elasticity or stretchability in order to accommodate the nor- 99 mal increased girth of the wearer when she is in a sitting position. Bias cut slips, however, have been objectionable for the reason that when the garment does so expand when the wearer is sitting, the increased girth must be compensated for by the garment being shorter, thereby causing the dress of the wearer to ride upwardly. along with the undergarment.

Straight out garments of the usual type have, to a large extent, been' objectionable because no suitable measure of elasticity is provided when the wearer issitting, and it is accordingly one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved garment constructed substantially on the straight of the material which will accommodate itself to the body of the wearer while sitting and still not decrease in length at such time.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a garment having a bias-cut seam in the rear of the garment, provision for such bias seam 40 being made byrearranging the grain line of the material in such portions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved garment, the main body portion of which is constructed from a single blank of material, the front median line of the garment being on the straight of the goods, and wherein a distinct saving of material is effected through the novel details of construction. Yet another 5" object of the invention is the provision of an improved garment Which may be made in the form of either a slip, nightgown, or dress, wherein only a single vertical seam is provided, this seam being at the rear of the garment, and wherein the fit- 55 ting qualities of such garment are greatly improved over conventional articles of this general character.-

In the drawings:.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the garment on the body of the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank employed in making the main body portion of the garment;

Fig. 4 is a planview of the two blanks used in constructing the rear lower portion of the garment, which portion, however, may be made from a single blank;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the finished garment folded along its front and rear vertical center lines; v 1

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the folded blanks. the .view showing the method of dart formation in the main blank in order to produce the bias effect in the waist portion of the garment;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of a modified garment 20 wherein a. rear panel extends the full length of the garment. I

A ladies undergarment or slip is chosen for illustration of the preferred embodiment of the appreciated that substantially the same structure may be employed for other body garments, including nightgowns, dresses, or the like.

The main body portion of the garment. is made from a substantially square piece of material or blank lo, the grain I of such material being parallel with the respective edges of the blank. In constructing the garment, the blank is first folded along the central vertical line, shown at :r-zr in Fig. 3. such line constituting the front median line of the garment, as indicated at l3in Figs.

5 and 6. A dart is now formed in each side of the upper waist portion of the garment, which dart is formed by cutting each side of' the blank in substantially the manner shown in Fig. 6-. The 40 upper horizontal edge ll of the cut-out portion is somewhat curved throughout its length and the lower edge I 5 of such cut-out portion is formed with a slightly greater curve than theedge I. The upper edge 20 of this laterally extending portion is concavely curved in the manner shown.

A short, substantially vertical edge It is provided at the inner end of the curved edge I5, and another substantially vertical edge I! at an acute angle to the edge I6 joins the edge IS with the inner terminal of the upper horizontal edge I.

Each half of the garment is cut in this fashion and the edges l6 and I! are now joined together along the stitchlines l8 and I9, respectively, which lines are, spaced from the marginal edges jg." l}; a S 2,161,063

the bias below line Hi. This rotation of the portion26 brings the lower edge It thereof inwardly toward the front of the garment and when this portion is properlypositioned relative to the poran approved amount. The .upper and lower curved edges are tlien joined together along the stitch lines 2| and 22, respectively. Thus two darts areformed on'each side of the garment,

one, an elongated, substantially horizontal dart 30 terminating at the bust portion, and a short dart 3| extending upwardly from such point of termination, over the bust portion. This latter .dart is made on the bias relative to the front medianline I3 of the garment, as shown in Fig. 5, in.order,.to give such bust portions a greater measure of flexibility. It should be noted that the point 23 which forms the junction a the a stitch lines |8 and 22 should coincidewith the point 24 which forms the junction of the stitch lines l9 and 2|. Thus when the upper and lower edges l4 and I5 are secured together along the stitch lines 2| and 22, the grain of the material in the waist portion of the garment above the edge It, indicated as 26, is thrown on the bias with respect to the material below the edge l5.

In the drawings the stitch line 2| is'shown as substantially vertical edge It and I1 is dependent upon the shape and size of the-,figure of the wearer to be fitted by the garment. In a fair range of sizes, these edges will vary considerably and in some instances one or both of the edges It and I5 may be partially straight throughout .a good portion of their lengths. In the preferred embodiment 'of the invention, however, these edges are curved throughout their lengths and constitute segments of different circles. It may be further pointed out that in the event it is necessary to make the edges I4 and I5 of unequal lengths, in order to produce a certain effect, the longer edge is progressively fulled into the shorter edge as the edges are stitched. together.

The foregoing dart construction differs from darts and tucks generally in that its primary purpose is toswing or rotate the grain of the material from a straight grain in the front central portion of the garment to a bias in the rear portion of the garment, particularly at the upper end thereof. When the darts are formed substantially in the manner described, the requisite varystitched together, a rear bias seam is formed.

ing of the grain of the material is accomplished and the desired fullness follows almost as a natural result. Darts and tucks generally are for the purpose of creating or reducing fullness and no desired throwing of the grain line results.

To further clarify the method of creating these darts for any given size or figure, in order to make it more understandable to those skilled in the art, it may-be stated that a horizontal cut is made generally along the line l5 (Fig. 6). The material is placed upon the form with the front median line properly positioned and the material below the line l5 is then positioned to give'the desired bias relative to the front median line, the grain lines just below the reference character 30 in Fig. 5 showing generally' the approved degree of bias. The upper portion 26 extending laterally from the bust portion is now brought or rotated to give the desired bias wnwardly erein, which bias is desirably of somewhat greater degree than tion below the edge IS, the stitch lines 2| 'and 22 are readily determined. There is now a. surplus of material over the bust portion and the stitch lines l8 and H! of the short dart then determined, keeping in mind, of course, that a bias dart is desired here. It must be appreciated, however, that this short dart extending upwardly over the bust portion probably is, and may in fact be considered as, an upward extension of the long dart. The surplus material may now be trimmed away.

If the general angle of the short dart is known at the time the first cut (I5) is made, a short upwardly extending cut may also be made here at this time, which cut aids in determining the stitch line of this short dart, the angle of which,

relative to thelohg dart, is of great importance.

Also, it must be made clear that this entire process may be reversedan'd the angle and contour ess may be reevrsed and the angle and contour of the short dart determined first, the stitch line made, and the long dart formed last.

In actual construction of the garment, each side of the blank may be first stitched along the stitch lines I 8 and I9 and then along the stitch lines 2| and 22, and the material cut therefrom thereafter. For the sake of clearness in Fig. 6, however, the blank isfindicated as being cut in the first instance and stitched thereafter. In view stitching operation occupies a position to the left of the stitch line 22,this portion must be moved over to coincide with such' lower stitch line 22, and for the sake of clearness, the upper and lower edges l4 and I5 are shown with the small cut-out --portions 28, and a broken line29 extends between 30 and in the portions of the garment adjacent to the edges and 36, the material may be cut on the bias as shown. Thus when such edges are In order to provide additional fullness in the lower or skirt portion-of the garment, a triangular godet l0, desirably made from two pieces of material ll and 42 is stitched to the selvage .3 of

the blank. It is desirable when securing two of such edges together that theedges be on the bias of the material in order to provide a far higher order of strength -in the seams than would be the case if the edge of the material were-parallel with thegrain of: the material. In the lower portion of the skirt ere is no particular tension on the seams and'acc rdingly said bias edges are not normally necessary. In the waist or upper portion of the garment, however, there is considerable strain and the garment in'this portion is joined together on the bias edge of the material.

'of the fact that the stitch line 2| prior to the 'in the material above and below the stitch line The lower edge ofthe garment is slightly curved as indicated at 45 and the upper edge of the made vide a V shaped neck portion The garment is then finished by providing shoulder straps II.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is I provided with only a single vertical seam in the rear or ,the arment, the lower rear portion, however, havi g a triangular insert or godet to give the skirt portion. Material of standerate s andin the event that larger sizes are a panel II, as shown in Fig. 7, extending the ulllength oi the garment, may be secured along its vertical edges ii toFthe opposed vertical edges oithe main blank. The edges of the main blank along this stitch line' are largely on the "bias. The dart is formed in the manner previouslyv described. Whereas only one dart is shown in each side or the garment, it will be appreciated that two or more spaced darts may be provided on each side. The essential thing in this regard is to form darts of this character which permits draping the garment to the form oithe body by following the various curves thereofand changing the grain of the material from straight in the center front to a progressively increasingbias as it approaches the rear of the garment..- This eliminates the necessity for a side seamwhich normally receives a considerable strain.

and permits the placing oi. the seam'in the rear where the strain is considerably reduced. "This elimination of the side seams also makes for a.v

smoother i ltting hip portion.

What I claim is:

- 1. A body garment comprising waist and portions and being" made irom'a blanket ma terial, the vertical edges of which are joined together to form. a rear vertical seam,- the front central portion ot-the garment being substantially on the straight oi the material, each side of the garment being provided with an elongated extending from the bust portions through the underarm sections to the rear of the garment, a second dart on each side of the garment'extending from the inner end oi. the elongated dart upwardly over the bust portion, the material above the elongated dart being in a biased position relative to the material below the dart.

2. Abody garment comprising waistand skirt portions and beingmade from a blank oi ma-' terial, the vertical edges oi which are Joined together to form arear: vertical seam, the front central portion of the garment being substan-- tially on thestraight oi material. each side oi the garment being provided with an elongated dart extending iron the bust portions through the underarm sections to the rear of the garment,

aseconddartoneachsideoithegarmenteh,

tendingirom'theinn'erendottheelongateddart permits this construction in the modportions and being made from a blank of ma- 5 terial, the vertical edges of which are Joined together to' form a rear vertical seam, the front median line of the garment being substantiallyon the straight oi the material, each side or the garment being provided with an elongated dart 10.

extending from the bust portions through the underarm sections to' the rear of the garment, each dart having a portion extending upwardly and diagonally over the bust portion, the material above the elongated dart being in a biased posi- 15 tion relative to the material below the dart, the vertical edges which are joined to term. the rear on a bias relative to the front median line or the garment.

- 4. A body garment comprising waist andskirt portions and being made from a blank'of ma-- terial, the front median line of the garment being substantially on the straight of the material and "occupying the central vertical line of the'blank,

each-side oi the garment being provided with elongated dart extending from the bust portion through the underarm section rear'oi the gar v ment and a short dart at an angle to the elon-g gem dart extending over each bust portion, eac

bust portion having a cut-out area, two edges of iurther towards the front of the garment than thesipper edge thereoi, such edges being Joined together end ior end to form the elongated dart.

'5. A body garment comprising waist and skirt portions and being made from a blank of material, the front median line of the garment being substantially on the straight oi the material and occupyi the central vertical line of the blank, a

portion extending laterally from each bust portion of the garment, the lower edges of such extension terminating at its inner end in a cut-out area having two edges at 'an angle to each other, the two edges being joined together to form 'a short dart'and the lower edge of the'extension being joined to the adjacent tree edges of the blank in biased relation thereto to form an elongateddart extending through the underarm sec-. tion to the rear 0! the garment, the opposed vertical' edges 01' the. blank being formed along bias lines and being Joined to form a rear vertical seam. HARRIET S. KOHLER. 

